Electric operating mechanism suitable for molded case circuit breaker

Abstract

The invention discloses an electric operating mechanism suitable for a molded case circuit breaker. The electric operating mechanism comprises a shell and a mounting frame in the shell. The installation frame bears the execution mechanism, and the execution mechanism comprises a reduction gearbox and a switching-on and switching-off mechanism. A motor and a gear set are arranged in the reduction gearbox, and a spindle is arranged in a driving gear of the gear set. The opening and closing mechanism comprises a rotating piece linked with the main shaft, a driving block, a sliding block and a guide shaft. The sliding block is slidably arranged on the guide shaft of the mounting frame, and a guide groove and an accommodating groove for accommodating a circuit breaker handle are arranged in the sliding block. After being decelerated by the gear, the motor drives the sliding block to linearly move through the main shaft, the rotating piece and the driving block so as to drive the handle to open and close. An operation hole and a display hole are formed in a top cover of the shell, and an indicator board capable of shielding the operation hole and a state display board which is in linkage with the sliding block and displays the state through the display hole are arranged in the shell. The device is compact in structure and reliable in transmission, integrates manual / electric operation and state indication functions, and is convenient to install.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of low-voltage electrical technology, specifically an electric operating mechanism suitable for molded case circuit breakers. Background Technology

[0002] Molded case circuit breakers (MCCBs) are widely used in power distribution systems for overload and short-circuit protection, as well as normal closing and opening operations. Traditional MCCBs are operated primarily by manually operating a lever, which is inconvenient in applications requiring frequent operation or remote control (such as intelligent power distribution and building automation). Therefore, external or internal electrically operated mechanisms have emerged on the market, using a motor to drive the automatic opening and closing of the circuit breaker.

[0003] Existing electric operating mechanisms often suffer from problems such as complex structure, large size, poor compatibility with circuit breaker installation, inconvenient manual / automatic switching, and unintuitive status indication. Furthermore, some mechanisms have unreliable transmissions, which are prone to wear or misalignment after prolonged use, affecting operational accuracy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an electric operating mechanism that is compact, has reliable transmission, provides manual / automatic switching and clear status indication, and is easy to install. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an electric operating mechanism suitable for molded case circuit breakers that is compact in structure, reliable in transmission, integrates manual operation and status indication functions, and is easy to install.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: An electric operating mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker is disclosed, the electric operating mechanism being adapted to drive the circuit breaker handle to open and close the circuit. The electric operating mechanism includes a housing, and a mounting frame is provided inside the housing. The mounting frame is used to support an actuator, the actuator being configured to drive the circuit breaker handle to open and close the circuit.

[0006] The present invention further provides that the actuator includes a reduction gearbox and a closing / opening mechanism that cooperates with the reduction gearbox. The reduction gearbox is provided with a gear set and a motor. The gear set includes a drive gear, a driving gear, and an intermediate gear that are linked with the motor. The drive gear is provided with a main shaft, which is linked with the closing / opening mechanism. The reduction gearbox is located in the space formed by the mounting frame and the top of the housing. The closing / opening mechanism is located in the space between the circuit breaker housing and the mounting frame.

[0007] The present invention further provides that the end of the main shaft near the housing has an operating groove, and the end away from the housing passes through the mounting frame and is linked with the opening and closing mechanism.

[0008] The present invention further includes a rotating component that rotates synchronously with the main shaft. An opening is provided at one end of the rotating component away from its rotation center. A connecting shaft is provided in the opening, and a driving block is connected to the connecting shaft.

[0009] The present invention further includes a sliding block and a guide shaft that are linked to the drive block. The mounting frame includes a top plate, a first leg and a second leg disposed on both sides of the top plate, and a guide shaft is formed between the first leg and the second leg. The sliding block is slidably disposed on the guide shaft. The sliding block is provided with a guide groove and a receiving groove for accommodating the circuit breaker handle. The guide groove is used to adapt to the drive block. When the main shaft rotates, the drive block moves in the guide groove and drives the sliding block to move on the guide shaft, thereby driving the circuit breaker handle to realize the opening and closing of the circuit breaker.

[0010] The present invention further provides that the sliding block is provided with a reinforcing member, the reinforcing member is adapted to form a groove in the guide groove, and forms a blocking part at the opening of the sliding block to prevent the driving block from falling off from the opening when it rotates.

[0011] The present invention further provides that the housing includes a top cover and a side housing, the top cover and the side housing are fixedly connected, and the top cover is provided with an operation hole for manually operating the spindle.

[0012] The present invention further includes an indicator plate provided between the top cover and the gearbox. When the indicator plate does not obstruct the operation hole, it is used to realize the opening and closing operation in manual mode. In the case of manual opening and electric opening, the rotation direction of the main shaft is the same.

[0013] The present invention further includes a status display panel on one side of the indicator panel. The status display panel includes a straight plate portion parallel to the gearbox and a bent insertion portion. The insertion portion is connected to a slot on the sliding block. When the sliding block moves, the status display panel moves synchronously with the sliding block. The status display panel corresponds to the display hole on the top cover. The status display panel is provided with different color areas for opening and closing the circuit breaker and is displayed through the display hole.

[0014] The present invention further includes an external connector connected to the mounting frame, the external connector extending from inside the housing to the outside and connecting to the molded case circuit breaker.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the electric operating mechanism provided by the present invention has the following significant advantages: By setting up an independent mounting frame to support the actuator and arranging the gearbox and opening / closing mechanism in layers, the structure is compact and reasonable, reducing the overall volume and improving space utilization. The transmission mechanism adopts the principle of gear reduction combined with crank-slider (rotating component-drive block-sliding block), converting the rotational motion of the motor into reliable linear motion, resulting in high transmission efficiency and accurate operation. A manual operation interface with an operating hole and operating slot is provided, along with a movable indicator plate, enabling clear distinction and safe switching between manual and automatic modes. The mechanically linked status display panel can display the circuit breaker's opening and closing status in real time and intuitively, improving the convenience of human-machine interaction. Through the design of external connectors, this electric operating mechanism can be easily and securely installed on various models of molded case circuit breakers, demonstrating strong versatility. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the electric operating mechanism and the molded case circuit breaker in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the electric operating mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention after the side shell has been removed.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the electric operating mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the actuator in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a partial exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Reference numerals: 10, housing; 101, top cover; 1011, operating hole; 1012, display hole; 1013, moving hole; 102, side housing; 1021, partition plate; 1022, first cavity; 1023, second cavity; 20, mounting frame; 201, top plate; 202, first support leg; 203, second support leg; 30, gearbox; 301, drive gear; 302, motor; 303, drive gear; 3011, first sliding surface; 3012, second sliding surface; 3013, stop surface; 304, first gear; 305, second gear; 306, third gear; 307, fourth gear; 308, fifth gear; 309, sixth gear; 310, seventh gear; 311, eighth gear; 312, main shaft; 3121. Embedded groove; 3122. Operating groove; 313. Mating block; 314. Spring; 40. Opening and closing mechanism; 401. Rotating component; 4011. Opening; 4012. Connecting shaft; 4013. Driving block; 402. Sliding block; 4021. Guide groove; 4022. Receiving groove; 4023. Alignment slot; 403. Guide shaft; 50. Reinforcing component; 501. Groove; 502. Covering part; 60. Indicator plate; 601. Moving rod; 70. Status display plate; 701. Straight plate part; 702. Insertion part; 80. External connecting part; 801. First connecting foot; 802. Second connecting foot; 803. Vertical plate; 804. Horizontal fixing piece; 8041. Screw hole; 90. First micro switch; 100. Second micro switch. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following will describe in detail the implementation of this application with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, so that the implementation process of how this application uses technical means to solve technical problems and achieve technical effects can be fully understood and implemented accordingly.

[0024] like Figure 1-6 As shown, the present invention provides an electric operating mechanism adapted to drive the circuit breaker handle to open and close the circuit. The electric operating mechanism includes a housing 10, which includes a top cover 101 and a side housing 102. The top cover 101 and the side housing 102 are fixedly connected and placed on the panel of the molded case circuit breaker with the handle.

[0025] In this embodiment, a partition plate 1021 is provided in the side housing 102 to divide the interior of the side housing 102 into a first cavity 1022 and a second cavity 1023. A mounting frame 20 is provided in the first cavity 1022, which is used to support an actuator configured to drive the circuit breaker handle to open and close. The second cavity 1023 is used to store hand tools.

[0026] The actuator includes a gearbox 30 and a circuit breaker opening and closing mechanism 40 that cooperates with the gearbox 30. The gearbox 30 is located in the space formed between the mounting frame 20 and the top cover 101 and is fixed on the mounting frame 20. The circuit breaker opening and closing mechanism 40 is located in the space between the circuit breaker housing 10 and the mounting frame 20. The gearbox 30 and the circuit breaker opening and closing mechanism 40 are arranged in a longitudinal layer, which is compact and reasonable, effectively reducing the overall volume and improving the space utilization rate.

[0027] The main structure of the gearbox 30 consists of a gear set and a motor 302. The gear set specifically includes a drive gear 301, intermediate gears, and a driving gear 303 that are linked to the motor 302. The drive gear 301 is driven by the motor 302. The intermediate gears include a first gear 304, a second gear 305, a third gear 306, a fourth gear 307, a fifth gear 308, a sixth gear 309, a seventh gear 310, and an eighth gear 311. The first gear 304 and the second gear 305 are coaxially arranged longitudinally, and the third gear 306 and the fourth gear 307 are coaxial. The gears are arranged longitudinally, with the fifth gear 308 and the sixth gear 309 coaxially, and the seventh gear 310 and the eighth gear 311 also coaxially. The first gear 304 meshes with the driving gear 301, the second gear 305 meshes with the third gear 306, the fourth gear 307 meshes with the fifth gear 308, the sixth gear 309 meshes with the seventh gear 310, and the eighth gear 311 meshes with the drive gear 303. A main shaft 312 is installed inside the drive gear 303, and the portion of the main shaft 312 located inside the drive gear 303 is flush with the inner wall of the drive gear 303. The clutch assembly includes a mating block 313 and a spring 314. Two recessed grooves 3121 are formed on the main shaft 312 along its diameter. The spring 314 is located within the recessed grooves 3121, with one end connected to the wall of the groove 3121 and the other end connected to the mating block 313. A first sliding surface 3011 and a second sliding surface 3012 are formed on the inner wall of the drive gear 303. A stop surface 3013 is formed at the junction of the first sliding surface 3011 and the second sliding surface 3012. The first sliding surface 3011 and the second sliding surface 3012 are arc-shaped surfaces. The inner diameters of the first sliding surface 3011 and the second sliding surface 3012 gradually decrease. The first and second sliding surfaces 3011 and 3012 engage with the mating block 313. During manual tripping, as the mating block 313 slides along the first and second sliding surfaces 3011 and 3012, the inner diameters of these surfaces decrease, causing the mating block 313 to be compressed. This means the mating block 313 always maintains its sliding contact with the first and second sliding surfaces 3011 and 3012, thus preventing the drive gear 303 from moving and achieving tripping. One of the mating blocks 313 only moves on its corresponding sliding surface; the same principle applies during tripping.

[0028] In this embodiment, the main shaft 312 has an operating groove 3122 at one end near the housing 10, and the other end away from the housing 10 passes through the mounting frame 20 and is linked with the opening and closing mechanism 40. The operating groove 3122 is used to adapt to manual tools, and the shape of the operating groove 3122 can be a straight line, a cross, or other shapes.

[0029] The opening and closing mechanism 40 includes a rotating component 401 that rotates synchronously with the main shaft 312. The rotating component 401 can be a cam or a transmission rod and is located in the part of the main shaft 312 inside the mounting frame 20. An opening 4011 is provided at one end of the rotating component 401 away from its rotation center. A connecting shaft 4012 is provided in the opening 4011 and a drive block 4013 is connected to the connecting shaft 4012.

[0030] The opening and closing mechanism 40 also includes a sliding block 402 and a guide shaft 403 that are linked with the drive block 4013. The mounting frame 20 includes a top plate 201, a first support leg 202 and a second support leg 203 disposed on both sides of the top plate 201. A guide shaft 403 is formed between the first support leg 202 and the second support leg 203. The sliding block 402 is slidably disposed on the guide shaft 403. The sliding block 402 is provided with a guide groove 4021 and a receiving groove 4022 for accommodating the circuit breaker handle. The guide groove 4021 is used to adapt to the drive block 4013. When the main shaft 312 rotates, the drive block 4013 moves in the guide groove 4021, thereby driving the sliding block 402 to move on the guide shaft 403, thereby driving the circuit breaker handle to realize opening and closing. A reinforcing member 50 is provided on the sliding block 402. The reinforcing member 50 is adapted to the guide groove 4021 to form a groove 501, and forms a blocking part 502 at the opening of the sliding block 402 to prevent the driving block 4013 from falling off the opening when it rotates. Of course, a side plate higher than the bottom surface of the guide groove 4021 can also be directly provided at the opening of the sliding block 402; the purpose of using the reinforcing member 50 in this application is to enhance the strength of the sliding block 402, thereby enhancing its service life; wherein the two sides of the sliding block 402 form sliding grooves corresponding to the guide shaft 403 to accommodate the guide shaft 403.

[0031] In addition, in this embodiment, an operation hole 1011, a display hole 1012, and a moving hole 1013 are formed on the top cover 101. Specifically, in this embodiment, an indicator plate 60 is provided between the top cover 101 and the gearbox 30. The indicator plate 60 is movable and a moving rod 601 is provided on it. The moving rod 601 is located in the moving hole 1013 and extends out of the top cover 101. The words "automatic" and "manual" are provided on both sides of the moving rod 601 to indicate the current mode. When manual operation is required, the indicator plate 60 does not block the operation hole 1011, so that a manual tool can be inserted from the operation hole 1011 into the operation slot 3122 for opening and closing the circuit breaker. At the same time, the word "manual" can be observed during the movement. It is also worth mentioning that the rotation direction of the main shaft 312 is the same when manually opening the circuit breaker and electrically opening the circuit breaker.

[0032] In addition, a status display board 70 is provided on one side of the indicator board 60, and the status display content is open or closed; the specific implementation is as follows: the status display board 70 includes a straight plate part 701 arranged parallel to the gearbox 30 and a bent plug part 702. The plug part 702 is connected to the sliding block 402 by a slot 4023. When the sliding block 402 moves, the status display board 70 moves synchronously with the sliding block 402. The status display board 70 corresponds to the display hole 1012 opened on the top cover 101. The status display board 70 is set with different color areas for open and closed and is displayed through the display hole 1012.

[0033] In addition, the mounting frame 20 in this embodiment is connected to an external connector 80, which extends from inside the housing 10 to the outside and connects to the molded case circuit breaker. The structure of the external connector 80 is as follows: it has a first connecting foot 801 and a second connecting foot 802. Both the first connecting foot 801 and the second connecting foot 802 are connected to the first support foot 202 or the second support foot 203. That is, an external connector 80 is provided on the same side. The first connecting foot 801 and the second connecting foot 802 are connected by a vertical plate perpendicular to it. The vertical plate is also connected to a horizontal fixing plate 804 for connecting to the housing 10 of the molded case circuit breaker. The horizontal fixing plate 804 is correspondingly and parallel to the first connecting foot 801 and the second connecting foot 802. The horizontal fixing plate 804 is provided with a screw hole 8041 for connecting to the connection hole on the molded case circuit breaker itself.

[0034] In addition, in this embodiment, a first micro switch 90 for detecting the position of the indicator plate 60 and a second micro switch 100 for detecting the status display plate 70 are also provided in the housing 10. Since the status display plate 70 and the sliding block 402 move synchronously, the second micro switch 100 is equivalent to detecting the position of the sliding block 402, and is specifically located on the movement path of the object being detected.

[0035] The motor starts upon receiving a closing or opening signal, and after deceleration via a gear set, drives the main shaft to rotate. The main shaft drives a rotating component to oscillate, causing a drive block connected to the end of the rotating component to move along a guide groove on a sliding block. Due to the trajectory constraint of the guide groove, the movement of the drive block pushes the sliding block to move linearly along the guide shaft. The linear movement of the sliding block directly actuates the circuit breaker handle housed in its receiving groove, thereby achieving the electric opening or closing of the circuit breaker. The entire process is displayed on a status display panel, and manual operation can be switched at any time by toggling an indicator panel.

[0036] If certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components, those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in function. The term "comprising" as used throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to." "Approximately" means that within an acceptable margin of error, those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem and substantially achieve the technical effect within a certain margin of error.

[0037] It should be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a product or system comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a product or system. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the product or system that includes that element.

[0038] The foregoing description illustrates and describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, as previously stated, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the forms disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. It can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments, and can be altered within the scope of the inventive concept by means of the foregoing teachings or techniques or knowledge in related fields. Any modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electrically operated mechanism suitable for molded case circuit breakers, characterized in that, The electric operating mechanism is adapted to drive the circuit breaker handle to open and close. The electric operating mechanism includes a housing (10) and a mounting frame (20) is provided inside the housing (10). The mounting frame (20) is used to support the actuator, which is configured to drive the circuit breaker handle to open and close.

2. The electrically operated mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The actuator includes a gearbox (30) and a circuit breaker opening and closing mechanism (40) that cooperates with the gearbox (30). The gearbox (30) is equipped with a gear set and a motor (302). The gear set includes a drive gear (301), a driving gear (303), and an intermediate gear that are linked with the motor (302). The drive gear (301) is equipped with a main shaft (312). The main shaft (312) is linked with the circuit breaker opening and closing mechanism. The gearbox (30) is located in the space formed by the mounting frame (20) and the top of the housing (10). The circuit breaker opening and closing mechanism (40) is located in the space between the circuit breaker housing (10) and the mounting frame (20).

3. The electrically operated mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The main shaft (312) has an operating groove (3122) at one end near the housing (10), and the other end away from the housing (10) passes through the mounting frame (20) and is linked with the opening and closing mechanism (40).

4. An electrically operated mechanism for molded case circuit breakers according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The opening and closing mechanism (40) includes a rotating component (401) that rotates synchronously with the main shaft (312). An opening (4011) is provided at one end of the rotating component (401) away from its rotation center. A connecting shaft (4012) is provided in the opening (4011), and a driving block (4013) is connected to the connecting shaft (4012).

5. An electrically operated mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker according to claim 4, characterized in that, The opening and closing mechanism (40) further includes a sliding block (402) and a guide shaft (403) that are linked with the drive block (4013). The mounting frame (20) includes a top plate (201), a first leg (202) and a second leg (203) disposed on both sides of the top plate (201). A guide shaft (403) is formed between the first leg (202) and the second leg (203). The sliding block (402) is slidably disposed on the guide shaft (403). The sliding block (402) is provided with a guide groove (4021) and a receiving groove (4022) for accommodating the circuit breaker handle. The guide groove (4021) is used to adapt to the drive block (4013). When the main shaft (312) rotates, the drive block (4013) moves in the guide groove (4021) and drives the sliding block (402) to move on the guide shaft (403), thereby driving the circuit breaker handle to realize opening and closing.

6. The electrically operated mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sliding block (402) is provided with a reinforcing member (50), which is adapted to the guide groove (4021) to form a groove (501) and forms a blocking part (502) at the opening of the sliding block (402) to prevent the driving block (4013) from falling off from the opening when it rotates.

7. The electrically operated mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing (10) includes a top cover (101) and a side housing (102). The top cover (101) and the side housing (102) are fixedly connected. An operation hole (1011) is provided on the top cover (101) for manually operating the spindle (312).

8. The electrically operated mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker according to claim 7, characterized in that, An indicator plate (60) is provided between the top cover (101) and the gearbox (30). When the indicator plate (60) does not block the operation hole (1011), it is used to realize the opening and closing operation in manual mode. When manually opening and electrically opening, the rotation direction of the main shaft (312) is the same.

9. An electric operating mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker according to claim 8, characterized in that, A status display panel (70) is also provided on one side of the indicator panel (60). The status display panel (70) includes a straight plate (701) arranged parallel to the gearbox (30) and a bent plug-in portion (702). The plug-in portion (702) is connected to the sliding block (402) by a slot (4023). When the sliding block (402) moves, the status display panel (70) moves synchronously with the sliding block (402). The status display panel (70) corresponds to the display hole (1012) opened on the top cover (101). The status display panel (70) is set with different color areas for opening and closing the circuit and is displayed through the display hole (1012).

10. An electrically operated mechanism for a molded case circuit breaker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting frame (20) is connected to an external connector (80), which extends from inside the housing (10) to the outside and is connected to the molded case circuit breaker.

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